Hydration key to braving workouts in Coastal Bend heat

CORPUS CHRISTI - If you're running outdoors in South Texas this time of year, you're acutely aware of the need for water. Even a mile on the pavement can drench you in sweat, and you need a strategy to replace all that fluid.

You've heard of the scary dangers of dehydration, including kidney failure, but even on a short workout it's in every runner's interest to drink plenty. The body responds to heat by circulating more blood to the skin, which decreases blood flow to the muscles necessary to power through a run.

If you're low on fluids, this deficit to the muscles becomes worse and it's harder to perform, undermining the reason you're out there struggling in the heat to begin with. As dehydration increases its effects include weakness and lightheadedness, which not only impede performance but can lead to a nasty fall.

The question is how to carry fluids and which fluids to carry. Current wisdom holds that for runs of around an hour or less, water is sufficient. It's possible to plan a route based on proximity to runner-friendly hoses and public fountains. For longer runs, though, a sports drink with sodium or electrolytes becomes necessary in helping the body absorb fluids.

Depending on goals and fitness needs, some endurance athletes choose drinks that also provide carbohydrates and protein. It takes experimentation to figure out what works, and it's worth talking with a nutritionist for guidance, or at the very least researching online.

Products like split handheld bottles or belt-mounted individual bottles provide the option of carrying more than one type of fluid as you run, such as water and a sports drink. As a bonus, you can freeze sports drink mixtures in bottles the night before running. The salt content causes them to thaw pretty quickly, and starting with a cold, slushy drink makes running outdoors this time of year a little more bearable.